Essential English Vocabulary: Phrasal Verbs & Expressions

Posted on Mar 30, 2025 in English Studies

Unit 3

Phrasal Verbs: Learning and Thinking

  • back up (sth) (phr v) → To make a copy of information on a computer that is stored separately.
  • face up (to) (phr v) → To accept that a difficult situation exists.
  • focus (on) (phr v) → To give a lot of attention to one particular subject.
  • get in (phr v) → To succeed in getting a place on a course, especially at university or college.
  • mix up (sth) (phr v) → To mistake someone or something for someone or something else.
  • think over (phr v) → To consider the possible results of a decision.

Unit 4

Stress

  • faint /feɪnt/ (v) → To suddenly become unconscious for a short time, usually falling down.
  • feel dizzy /fiːl ˈdɪzi/ (phr) → To feel as if everything is turning around so that you feel ill or as if you might fall.
  • get in a panic /ɡet ɪn ə ˈpænɪk/ (phr v) → To have a sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought and action.
  • go over and over (sth) in your mind /ɡəʊ ˈəʊvər ənd ˈəʊvər/ (phr v) → To think repeatedly about an event that has happened.
  • have an upset stomach /hæv ən ˈʌpset ˈstʌmək/ (phr v) → To have an illness in the stomach.
  • have difficulty sleeping /hæv ˈdɪfɪkəlti ˈsliːpɪŋ/ (phr) → To not be able to get to sleep easily or quickly and/or to wake up frequently during the night.
  • lose your appetite /luːz jɔːr ˈæpɪtaɪt/ (phr) → To not feel like eating.
  • lose your temper /luːz jɔːr ˈtempər/ (phr) → To suddenly become angry.

Unit 5

Expressing Frequency

  • all the time /ɔːl ðə taɪm/ (phr) → Very often.
  • occasionally /əˈkeɪʒənəli/ (adv) → Sometimes but not often.
  • once in a while /wʌns ɪn ə waɪl/ (phr) → Sometimes but not very often.
  • rarely /ˈreəli/ (adv) → Not often.
  • regularly /ˈreɡjələli/ (adv) → Often.
  • seldom /ˈseldəm/ (adv) → Not often.

Unit 6

Expressing Emotions

  • anxious (about) /ˈæŋkʃəs/ (adj) → Worried and nervous.
  • bad-tempered /ˌbæd ˈtempəd/ (adj) → Easily annoyed and angry.
  • cheerful /ˈtʃɪəfəl/ (adj) → Happy and positive.
  • concerned (about) /kənˈsɜːnd/ (adj) → Worried.
  • content (with) /kənˈtent/ (adj) → Pleased with your situation and not hoping for change or improvement.
  • depressed (about) /dɪˈprest/ (adj) → Unhappy and without hope for the future.
  • down (about) /daʊn/ (adj) → Unhappy and depressed.
  • fed up (with) /fed ʌp/ (adj) → Annoyed or bored with something that you feel you have accepted for too long.
  • grateful (for) /ˈɡreɪtfʊl/ (adj) → Feeling or showing thanks.
  • irritated (about) /ˈɪrɪteɪtɪd/ (adj) → Annoyed.
  • jealous (of) /ˈdʒeləs/ (adj) → Unhappy and angry because you want something that someone else has.
  • relieved (about) /rɪˈliːvd/ (adj) → Happy that something unpleasant has not happened or has ended.
  • scared (of) /skeəd/ (adj) → Frightened or worried.

Unit 7

Verbs of Movement and Sounds

  • kneel down /niːl daʊn/ (phr v) → To go down into a position where one or both knees are on the ground.
  • lean (on) /liːn (ɒn)/ (v) → To move the top part of the body in a particular direction.
  • sigh /saɪ/ (v) → To breathe out slowly and loudly to show tiredness, sadness, or relief.
  • rush into /rʌʃ ˈɪntuː/ (phr v) → To move quickly somewhere, or to make someone or something move quickly.
  • shrug (your shoulders) /ʃrʌɡ/ (v) → To move your shoulders up and down to show that you do not care or do not know something.
  • slam (the door) /slæm/ (v) → To close a door with great force, often loudly.
  • stumble (over words) /ˈstʌmbəl/ (v) → To make mistakes when speaking.
  • wander around /ˈwɒndər əˈraʊnd/ (phr v) → To walk slowly around without a clear direction.
  • whisper (in sb’s ear) /ˈwɪspər/ (v) → To speak very quietly into someone’s ear.
  • yell (at sb) /jel/ (v) → To shout something very loudly.

Time Phrases

  • for hours/weeks on end /fɔːr aʊərz/wiːks ɒn end/ (phr) → For a long time without stopping.
  • in no time (at all) /ɪn nəʊ taɪm æt ɔːl/ (phr) → Very quickly.
  • in the meantime /ɪn ðə ˈmiːntaɪm/ (phr) → In the time between two things happening.
  • the week before last /ðə wiːk bɪˈfɔːr lɑːst/ (phr) → The week before the one that has just finished.

Unit 8

Community

  • affordable /əˈfɔːdəbl/ (adj) → Cheap enough for people to be able to buy or pay for.
  • close-knit /ˌkləʊsˈnɪt/ (adj) → A close-knit community is one where people who live in the same area all know each other well.
  • diverse /daɪˈvɜːs/ (adj) → Very different from each other.
  • industrial /ɪnˈdʌstriəl/ (adj) → Connected with industry or having a lot of industry and factories.
  • inner-city /ˌɪnə ˈsɪti/ (adj) → The central part of a city where people live and where there are often problems because people are poor.
  • relaxed /rɪˈlækst/ (adj) → Calm and without worry.
  • residential /ˌrezɪˈdenʃəl/ (adj) → A residential area has only houses and not offices or factories.
  • rural /ˈrʊərəl/ (adj) → Relating to the countryside and not to towns.
  • trendy /ˈtrendi/ (adj) → Modern and influenced by the most recent fashions or ideas.
  • urban /ˈɜːbən/ (adj) → Belonging to or relating to a town or city.
  • welcoming /ˈwelkəmɪŋ/ (adj) → Friendly and making you feel welcome.

Unit 9

Collocations

  • achieve your goals /əˈtʃiːv jɔː ɡəʊlz/ (phr) → To succeed in doing something you have aimed to do, usually by working hard.
  • go wrong /ɡəʊ rɒŋ/ (phr) → To develop problems.
  • have a go (at sth) /hæv ə ɡəʊ (æt ˈsʌmθɪŋ)/ (phr) → To try to do something you have not done before.
  • lock sb up /lɒk sʌmbədi ʌp/ (phr v) → To put someone in prison.
  • miss a chance /mɪs ə tʃɑːns/ (phr) → To fail to take an opportunity.
  • make a (big) difference /meɪk ə (bɪɡ) ˈdɪfrəns/ (phr) → To improve a situation.
  • make the most of sth /meɪk ðə məʊst əv ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ (phr) → To get the maximum advantage from something.
  • pay attention (to sth) /peɪ əˈtenʃən (tə ˈsʌmθɪŋ)/ (phr) → To take full notice of something.
  • set up a business /set ʌp ə ˈbɪznəs/ (phr) → To start a company.
  • take a look at sth /teɪk ə lʊk ət ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ (phr) → To examine something.
  • take the risk /teɪk ðə rɪsk/ (phr) → To decide to do something that may have a bad result.

Unit 10

Prepositional Phrases

  • at fault /æt fɔːlt/ (phr) → Responsible for something bad that has happened.
  • by accident /baɪ ˈæksɪdənt/ (phr) → Without intending to; unintentionally.
  • by chance /baɪ tʃɑːns/ (phr) → In a way that was not planned or expected.
  • by mistake /baɪ mɪsˈteɪk/ (phr) → Accidentally; without intending to.
  • by yourself /baɪ jɔːˈsɛlf/ (phr) → Alone, without anyone else.
  • in a hurry /ɪn ə ˈhʌri/ (phr) → Needing to do something quickly.
  • in a mess /ɪn ə mes/ (phr) → In a state of disorder or untidiness.
  • in charge (of sth) /ɪn tʃɑːrdʒ (əv ˈsʌmθɪŋ)/ (phr) → Having control or responsibility for something.
  • in difficulty /ɪn ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ (phr) → Having problems or being in a tough situation.
  • in doubt /ɪn daʊt/ (phr) → Uncertain or unsure about something.
  • in fear (of sth) /ɪn fɪər (əv ˈsʌmθɪŋ)/ (phr) → Feeling afraid or worried about something.
  • in general /ɪn ˈdʒɛnərəl/ (phr) → Usually or mostly; considering everything.
  • in trouble /ɪn ˈtrʌbəl/ (phr) → In a difficult or problematic situation.
  • on average /ɒn ˈævərɪdʒ/ (phr) → Typically; calculated as a usual amount.
  • on your own /ɒn jɔːr əʊn/ (phr) → Alone; without help from others.
  • out of breath /aʊt əv brɛθ/ (phr) → Breathing very fast and hard, usually after exercise.
  • out of nowhere /aʊt əv ˈnəʊweər/ (phr) → Suddenly and unexpectedly, without warning.

Unit 12

Verbs of Communication

  • amuse (v) → To make someone laugh or smile.
  • cheer (sb) up (phr v) → If someone cheers up, they start to feel happier.
  • highlight (v) → To attract attention to something.
  • promote (v) → To encourage the popularity, sale, or development of something.
  • reassure (v) → To comfort someone and stop them from worrying.